1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical bed system wherein one bed is shared in a plurality of medical apparatuses such as an X-ray CT apparatus, radiotherapeutical apparatus, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, radiotherapy in which narrow radiation beams are concentrated to an endocardial lesion so as to destroy only this lesion has been tried. This technology is described in the two theses of "A SYSTEM FOR STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY WITH A LINEAR ACCELERATOR" by WENDELL LUTS, Ph.D. et al in Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys. Vol.14 pp.373-381 and "DYNAMIC STEREOTACTIC RADIO SURGERY" by ERVIN B. PODGORSAK, Ph.D. et al in the same journal pp.115-126. In this case, this radiotherapy must be conducted to exert no influence upon normal cells around the lesion. In some cases, the radiotherapy has also been conducted over several weeks. In this case, a reproducibility capable of concentrating the narrow radiation beams to the same spot of the lesion every time must be maintained. On the other hand, location of the lesion can be specified at present by the X-ray CT apparatus with precision of about .+-.1 mm or less.
In the meanwhile, in an ordinary case, the radiotherapeutical apparatus, a therapy positioning apparatus (simulator) and the X-ray CT apparatus are used together upon conducting a radiotherapy treatment. However, ordinarily these apparatuses are respectively installed in different rooms. Therefore, upon treating the lesion, a patient as the subject must be moved between respective apparatuses. Consequently, much time and labor have been required and, in addition, sufficient positioning precision could not be attained.
As a result, a system has been considered wherein one bed on which the patient lies is commonly used in a plurality of therapeutical apparatuses such as the X-ray CT apparatus, a linear accelerator, etc. One example is shown in the publication of Japanese patent publication No.64-52436.
However, in a system using one bed commonly to the X-ray CT apparatus and the linear accelerator, for example, it is required that a location of an isocenter of the X-ray CT apparatus and a location of an isocenter of the linear accelerator must be switched mutually with precision when, for example, the direction of the bed should be changed. Nevertheless, at present, the location of tile isocenter is indicated by a light beam emitted from a laser beam projector, etc. and the apparatus is then positioned to the isocenter manually and mechanically. As a result, they cannot be accurately positioned.
On the other hand, the bed apparatus in this system is equipped with a control apparatus which comprises, for example, a CPU, and a memory for storing an operation control program for the X-ray CT apparatus and an operation control program for the radiotherapeutical apparatus, etc. When the X-ray CT apparatus is used, it is controlled by the operation program therefor. Also when the radiotherapeutical apparatus is used, it is controlled by the operation program therefor.
But, to control the X-ray CT apparatus and the radiotherapeutical apparatus by one control apparatus, a control software becomes complicated. Further, the X-ray CT apparatus and the radiotherapeutical apparatus are switched manually, and synchronizing timings of operations between the X-ray CT apparatus and the radiotherapeutical apparatus are manually handled. As a result, plenty of time and labor are required.
In addition, the movements of the beds of those apparatus are different from each other. For example, the bed can be rotated around the isocenter of the linear accelerator, but the X-ray CT apparatus does not equip the control function for driving the bed around the isocenter of the CT apparatus. Also, the X-ray simulator does not equip the function for rotating the bed around the isocenter.